Not applicable.
This invention relates to clips, in particularly, a method to affix a clip to an object that doesn""t readily have provisions for a clip, or where existing clips provide limitations. This invention will be shown and described in respect to its use with a mobile or cellular telephone. This is only one of many useful applications of the invention.
Currently a number of adhesive backed clips are available for cellular telephones. The clip adheres to the back of the phone, providing a method for clipping the phone to a belt or other thin flat object. Also available are a variety of adhesive based post clips. These devices have a small post which is mounted to the back of the phone via an adhesive. This post mounts into a clip, which is worn on the belt. The post allows the phone to swing on the clip.
These phone clips do an adequate job of mounting a phone to the users belt. These designs fail when it comes to being able to clip the phone to the belt and later clip it to another object. These designs are specifically for belt mounting of the device. Quite often the user does not want to wear the phone on the belt, but putting it in a bag would make its use more difficult. By clipping it to the outside of the bag, the phone will not accidentally be left behind and the user will be able to hear it if it rings. The existing phone clips are inadequate in attaching to a variety of surfaces, including the outside of a bag.
Other styles of adhesive clips have also been developed. These inventions were simple in format and construction. The invention described by Borisof (3309052) is an effective solution for mounting a clip to a large fixed planer object, such as a wall. The Borisof device is limited in that it is designed to hold flat objects such as posters onto another flat object such as a wall. This design does not make provisions for clipping objects that are not flat.
The invention created by Hall (3016224), also focuses specifically on clipping to flat objects. The clasp in his invention is mounted directly to a flat adhesive disk. This device serves well with his specific application of clasping keys and flat objects, but falls short in any attempt to clip to a non flat object.
Another previously developed adhesive clip is that of Kahabka (35423 1), this device uses an adhesive backed clip to mount wiring. This invention does a good job of solving the specific issue of holding wires to a wall or other object. But it fails in its ability to provide any planer flexibility. Similar to Borisof and Hall, this invention requires that the wires being held by the device be in a similar orientation to that of the mounting surface.
Based on the need for a more versatile phone clip that would allow the user to easily clip the phone to a belt, to a bag, or hang the phone on a hook. The following invention was developed.
In accordance with the present invention a clip is mounted to a mounting foot by means of a cord loop. The mounting foot it mounted to a device (base object) by means of an adhesive. Thus rendering the clip attached indirectly to the device (base object), and providing the clip a range of motion limited only by the length of the cord loop. Said range of motion allowing the clip to function in planes other than that of the mounting foot.
Several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide a clip which can easily mount to the surface of any desired object;
(b) to provide a clip that allows flexibility with respect to the planes of the clipped object and the mounted portion of the clip;
(c) to provide a clip that can easily attach to a variety of different objects
(d) to provides an economical solution to the mounting of a clip on a device that may not have any other means for attaching a clip
(e) to provide a clip that allows the device to rotate and move freely, limited only by the length of the strain relief, with respect to the object that the clip is attached to.
(f) to provide a solution that allows the user to easily remove and replace the clip
(g) to provides a solution that is easily compatible with all devices already in existence;
Further objects and advantages are to create a useful clip that can be used to attach a base object, which is generally portable and utilized in many different locations to a secondary object. With the provision that the clip can be permanently attached to the base object, but must attach and detach quickly and easily from the secondary object. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.